


Carmine Eyes and Carefree Smiles

by CheshireInWonderland



Category: Persona 3, Persona 3 Portable, Persona Series
Genre: Budding Romance, One Shot, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-19 16:32:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7369288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheshireInWonderland/pseuds/CheshireInWonderland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With no other residents in the dorm, Minako and Koromaru have a fun day out.<br/>One shot, may contain fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Carmine Eyes and Carefree Smiles

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, welcome to my first one-shot. This time, I wanted to venture to the Persona 3 universe. I will continue to update "Inaba's New Light" when I can, so keep an eye out for updates.  
> I would consider this to be slightly AU, due to Koromaru joining SEES only one day prior to the story's in game date and Shinji doesn't officially join SEES until September.  
> Note: Meeting Akinari in this story could be seen as an alternative to the forming of the sun social link, but it's entirely up to you how you perceive it.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story.

9th August 2009

 

The sun was shining bright and early in Iwatodai, its glare reflecting off the office skyscrapers and dazzling pedestrians below. Luckily for the members of the Iwatodai dorm, the building was sheltered by some of the surrounding taller buildings, providing shade for its residents. In one resident's room, the rays from the sun illuminated the room, pink checkered curtains left half open as an attempt of closing them after a late night studying.

 _Mmph, morning already?_ Minako curls up in bed, trying to bring the duvet higher up over her head. A yawn escapes her mouth. _I shouldn't have stayed up so late,_ Minako thinks to herself. _Those quadratic equations could have waited another night. Ugh, it's too warm!_ Minako kicks the duvet off and opens her eyes, carmine eyes blinded by the brightness of the room.

She walks over to the window to open it (right hand raised to shield her eyes from the light) and raises the catch, pushing the upper window outwards. Air slightly cooler than the girl's bedroom filters inside, lowering the temperature after a few minutes to a more comfortable state. The cooler temperature made the auburn haired teen feel refreshed, a smile forming on her face.

_It's such a beautiful day today. Maybe I should see if any of the others want to do anything?_

After spending 30 minutes getting ready, casual summer clothes worn and hair tied up in its usual style with the XXII hair grips securing any loose hairs, Minako heads out of her room and decides to knock on one of her classmate's doors.

"Yukari? Are you awake?" She tries the handle, only to find it locked.

_Maybe she has plans today and has already left?_

This seemed to be the case for every other resident in the dorm, after having no success from trying each of their doors. Even Aigis was out, no doubt dragged outside by one of the other girls.

_Now what do I do?_

Minako decides to venture downstairs and heads to the kitchen to make some breakfast. On the way, she hears the soft pitter patter of feet behind her.

"Koro-chan!" Minako beams happily, bending down to stroke the albino shiba inu. He wags his tail side to side, panting happily from receiving attention from one of his favourite humans. "I'm glad that I still have you. It seems that everyone else has already left."

He whines slightly, tail no longer wagging.

"N-No, Koro-chan, I didn't mean that that was a bad thing," she replies, panic caused her voice to waver slightly. "What I meant was that we could have a day out too, just the two of us. Would you like that?"

"Woof, woof!" He barked in response, instantly reverting back to his original happy state, then proceeded to lick the girl's face, knocking her to the ground.

"Agh! Hey Koro, that tickles!" she laughed in response, trying to grab the small dog that was wiggling in her grasp. She wrapped her arms around him and moved her face into his fur, successfully stopping his cleaning actions. Her body still vibrated slightly from laughter, muffled by Koromaru's fur. After a minute, she brought her face away from his fur and exhaled loudly, a relaxed smile etched on her face. "Okay, we'll head out in a few minutes. Let me do a quick check to see if we need some more food. I'm pretty sure we're running low on a few things."

Ten minutes later, a small shopping list composed of food and cleaning supplies was created and the collection money each member of SEES contributes each week was pocketed. Minako quickly rushed upstairs to grab a small handbag and her dorm keys, leaving the window on the latch to ventilate the room. After locking her room and heading downstairs, she faced the dog, lead in hand. "I don't think we'll need this, but I'll bring it along in case anyone decides to complain." She had already fastened a dog collar with an ID tag on to Koromaru (one used for walking him in the evenings), the carmine hue matching his eyes and her own. Koromaru did run off on occasion on their walks, but she was never worried. He usually went to the same place at the shrine, no doubt paying his respects to his late master.

Placing the lead in her bag, she opened the front door of the dorm. The sun's brilliant rays rained upon the two SEES members as they ventured outside, Minako locking the door behind them. "What a beautiful day. Shall we head to the shrine first, Koro-chan?"

He barked his approval in response, then proceeded to stot towards their chosen destination.

"Hey, Koro-chan. Wait for me!"

 

*Carmine Eyes and Carefree Smiles*

 

Once the pair had arrived at the Naganaki Shrine, they discovered that they were not alone. A small girl with her brown hair tied back into two braided buns was talking to a teenage boy wearing a blue and white striped shirt.

"Aneki!" the girl cheered, before running over to Minako. She wrapped her arms around the older girl's waist, holding her tightly.

Minako reciprocated the hug. "Hey, Maiko-chan. I didn't think I would see you today."

Maiko withdraws from the hug and pouts at the older girl. "Are you not happy to see me? It's been forever since you last came to play with me."

"I'm sorry, Maiko-chan. Things have been so busy lately. But I would never forget to come and see you. Will you forgive me?"

Maiko adopted a thinking pose, right hand tucked under her chin. "Hmm, okay. But you have to treat me to takoyaki whenever I want, 'kay?"

"When do I not?" Minako replied, smiling. She knew that her young friend wouldn't stay mad at her for long, especially when food was involved.

The younger girl laughed giddily, happy to believe that she had won against the older girl. "Oh, I have a new friend. Come meet striped shirt!" She grabbed Minako's hand and pulled her with her, Koromaru following behind the pair. "Do you remember me talking about him? He's here today."

The three individuals walked over to the young man sitting on a bench. He'd been watching them converse from afar and wasn't surprised that the little girl had made friends with another teenager. What did surprise him, however, was how comfortable the auburn-haired teen was around the girl, not treating her like a small child like most older people would do but rather speaking to her as though she was almost a young woman like herself. He had only just met this girl, but he could tell that the leader of SEES was different to everyone else he had met. She had a spark, something unique, that made him curious to find out more about her.

"Hey, Striped Shirt," Maiko greeted the man. "This is Minako nee-chan. She's my friend too, like you."

His grey eyes first looked at the girl speaking to him, then moved to the girl in question. "I'm Akinari Kamiki. Nice to meet you."

"Minako Arisato. Nice to meet you too," replied the girl with a bright smile. "This is Koromaru." She gestures to the dog standing next to her. "Say 'hello', Koro-chan."

The dog barks his greeting to Akinari, then walks over to him, resting his paw on his leg.

"What a clever dog," the boy murmurs, shaking the dog's paw with his right hand. "Hmm, is that...?" Upon closer inspection, he noticed that there was a red pen underneath the paw of his extended leg. It wasn't just any old pen; it was his red fountain pen! "I thought I had lost this." He removes the pen from the dog's paw. "Thank you for finding it for me."

"Woof!" Koromaru replies, showing his appreciation for being thanked, then places his extended leg back onto the ground.

"It seems that I have you to thank for this," Akinari turns his attention to Minako. "Without it, my story would not be complete."

"Story?" Minako cocked her head to the side slightly, intrigued by the prospect of his statement. "You're writing a story?"

Maiko, feeling bored and ignored by the big kids talking, turned to the shiba inu and patted his head. "Koro-chan, I'm bored. Let's go and play."

The pair wander over to a different section of the shrine and Maiko pulls out a small power ball from her pocket, throwing it for Koromaru to fetch. He runs off to catch and returns the ball, gently placing it on the floor near the girl's feet. His tail wags side to side and pants with a smile on his face, waiting patiently for the girl to throw the ball once again.

Meanwhile, Minako seats herself on the bench next to Akinari, waiting patiently for the man to start speaking again.

"She's talked about you before," the boy starts, gesturing to the little girl playing with her favourite dog. "She's very...bright." His face contorted, trying to find the right words to describe Maiko. "She has her whole life ahead of her. And then there's me, whose life will soon be snuffed out, a candle's flame which will soon vanish."

"I'm not sure I understand," Minako replied. "Is something going to happen? Can anything be done?"

He shook his head. "There's nothing that can be done. I'm dying from an incurable genetic disease. I was brought into this world, only to die before I've lived." He spoke in a normal voice, but his eyes screamed volumes, showing all the sadness and distress that he was bottling up inside. "But I wouldn't wish this on anyone; rather me than them." He looked down at his hands for a moment, before glancing at the girl with striking eyes. "I apologise. It's been a while since I've spoken to another person my age."

Minako gently shakes her head. "Don't worry about it. It saddens me that I can't help you, but I'll always be here if you need to talk." She surprises both the boy and herself when she pulls him in for a hug. "You are not alone, let me be there for you," she whispers to him, her honey-based perfume tickling his nose slightly. She releases him before he has time to react.

"Misery is a harsh mistress," he muttered under his breath, his words almost a whisper. He cleared his throat and resumed speaking at a normal volume. "I'm glad that we could meet. However, do not waste your time with me. Why waste your time amongst those whose life will soon be extinguished?"

"Akinari," Minako said softly, but stopped herself from continuing. She knew anything else that she'd say at this time wouldn't have any effect on the boy. She stood up from the bench. "I cannot say that we will not meet again, because that's not how life works." She turned around to face him, glancing down at him. "So this is not 'goodbye', but simply 'see you soon'."

The boy says nothing, but nods at her statement, contemplating her words.

"Hey, Koromaru," Minako shouts at the young pair, who were resting by a wall in the shade, and whistles for him. His ears perk up and he lifts his head off of Maiko's lap. "Are you ready to go?"

He makes a little "yip" sound and nods his head to confirm, standing up from his previous position. He waits until Maiko stands up, before the two walk over to the teenagers, their shadows following them.

"You're going already? But we didn't even get a chance to play, nee-chan," Maiko says, pouting at the older girl. "And I wanted takoyaki too."

"I'm sorry, Maiko-chan," Minako apologies to the girl, feeling bad that she didn't get to spend much time with her. "I'll come back and play with you once summer school is over, okay?" She crouches down to the girl's eye level. "You'll have to wait just a little bit longer. Will you be alright?"

Maiko hesitates before nodding. "I understand. Don't forget about me though, okay?"

"I could never forget about you," Minako replies, pulling the girl in for a hug, who holds her tightly in response.

"I'll look after her," Akinari speaks up, watching the two girls break away from their hug.

"Thank you, Akinari," Minako beams at the boy, smiling brightly.

"Yay!" Maiko cheers, happy to have a friend that wants to stay with her. "Striped Shirt, can we get some takoyaki? I'm hungry!"

The boy sighs. "That isn't my name and you know it," he says, lightly scolding the girl but with a small smile on his face, secretly happy that he wouldn't be alone. "Let us be off then." He turned to Minako and Koromaru. "'See you soon', right?"

The girl nodded, smiling. "Yes, we'll see you soon. Come on Koro-chan, we'd best be making tracks too."

The four individuals make their way to the shrine's entrance, then divide into their respective pairs and head in opposite directions.

Minako pulls out her phone to check the time. 2:57pm. Closing her red flip phone, she turns to her companion. "Hey, Koro-chan? Shall we go have a little snack break before our next stop?"

Koromaru barks his reply, looking forward to a cold drink to refresh him in this hot weather.

"Okay then. Time for a little detour."

 

*Carmine Eyes and Carefree Smiles*

 

One hour later, the two SEES members were heading back to the dorm, Minako carrying two shopping bags full of food and other supplies for the dorm. They were just a few minutes away from the dorm.

"Thank you for coming out with me today, Koro-chan. I've had a really enjoyable day and we even got to make a new friend. Have you enjoyed your day?"

"Woof, woof!" Koromaru barks happily in response, tail wagging faster than usual.

"Good, I'm glad," the girl replies. "I hope that the others will enjoy what I have planned. And of course, you'll be having something special too." The SEES leader smiles brightly, eyes softening at the prospect of seeing her friends being happy. They soon arrive at the dorm's entrance and Minako reaches into her handbag for her keys, little knick-knack keyrings cluttering the keychain. They rattle noisily when she proceeds to unlock the door. "Home, sweet home," she announces after opening the door, Koromaru rushing in in-front of her. Placing the shopping bags on the sofa, Minako turns around to find Koromaru pushing the front door closed. "Thanks, Koro-chan."

He turns his head towards and pants, smiling at the girl.

"Right then. Time to put everything away."

The two venture into the kitchen, Minako carrying the shopping bags, and proceed to store the items in specific cupboards. Koromaru carefully grabs the items out of the bag (food stored in individual plastic bags, cans or containers) and hands them to Minako, whilst she puts them in the right places. She keeps out certain items though, leaving them on the kitchen counter.

"It's been a little while since I've done some baking. I hope they're okay with cookies, butterfly cakes and sweet fries," she mused. "I know that Akihiko isn't keen on sweets, so hopefully these will do instead." She looked down at the dog, who was watching her. "I haven't forgotten about you, Koro-chan. I'll make you something special too."

He licks her hand in response and she rubs his ears, earning a happy whine in response.

"I'd better get started. I want to get them done before they get back." Minako grabs her apron from behind the kitchen door, cute images of chibi cats and dogs with different foods, and puts it on, fastening the ties at the back of her waist. She washes her hands and opens the window, putting it on the latch, therefore cooling the room but preventing any insects from entering. Opening a variety of cupboards, she gathers the rest of the necessary ingredients and equipment.

_Let's do this!_

 

*Carmine Eyes and Carefree Smiles*

 

"I'm back," a voice calls out to the dorm. He's met with silence as a reply. He knows that someone must be in, as the dorm wouldn't have been left unlocked otherwise. Mitsuru had that information drilled into the heads of each SEES member, who no doubt feared the wrath of her executions. He sniffs the air, sweet aromas filling the rooms of the dorm's ground floor.

_That can't be Yamagishi's cooking. Whatever's been cooked this time actually smells edible._

He ventures into the kitchen, taking note that it was just as clean as it had been when he had left earlier in the day. He takes off his beanie and unbuttons his maroon coat, running his fingers through his hair before wrapping his coat on the back of a kitchen chair.

"Damn, it's hot," Shinjiro grumbles. Although it was early evening at this point, the heat from the kitchen had kept the dorm nice and warm, but the temperature in the kitchen was sweltering. He wanders over to the windows and opens it more, letting some cool air inside the stuffy room. "I'll close it later when it ain't so hot."

He walks out of the kitchen and heads to the living room, planning on watching a cooking show before any of the others get back. "What the hell?" On his way to the sofa, he notices the SEES leader lying on the sofa on her side, facing the young man. She was asleep, snoring softly. Koromaru was curled up next to her, helping to keep her warm. Shinjiro hesitates then groans and heads back to the kitchen, grabbing his coat. He returns to the living room and places the coat over the girl, wrapping it around her body.

"Idiot," he grumbles softly, knowing that the girl was better at looking after others than herself. A blush dusts his cheeks after realising that he was watching her sleep, feeling happy to see her look so content. He turns around before he's found out. "Hmm?" An empty dog bowl rests by the sofa, a few droplets of meat juices rests on the inside. On the living room table, three separate plates are filled with goodies (the plate of sweet fries on a hot plate, a mat resting underneath), no doubt the source of the sweet aromas that he had smelt earlier. Next to the plates, he sees a note written in his leader's handwriting, telling the others to help themselves to the goodies on the table.

She really went all out, huh? He picks up a cookie and takes a bite, the slightly warm texture made the chocolate chips seem slightly gooey. They weren't hard but soft, making the texture similar to that of larger cookies that certain bakeries liked to make.

"Not bad, kid." He walks over to the staircase and turns around at the bottom step, looking back at the living room sofa; the girl and the dog were still fast asleep. A small smile softens the features on his face. "Sweet dreams, Minako."


End file.
